Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-03-22
THE BUSY BRIDGE DISASTER.

THE BUSY BRIDGE DISASTER.
Important Testimony by a Hartford
Expert-The Alignment of the Bridge
Faulty.
BosToN, March 21.-This afternoon tn.
| railroad commissioners resumed their invest
igation into the cause of the responsibility
for the late disaster at the Bussey woods
| bridge. The first and most important witness
was probably Henry A. Pomeroy, civil en-
gineer of some thirty eight years. experience.
Mr.. Pomeroy deposed that he had variously
been engaged, professionally, as superintend-
ent of the New York and New England rail-
road for two years and as cashier for that
corporation; for three years as constructing
engineer of the New Jersey Central, the Bel
videre, N. j., and the Atlantic and Great
Western railroad, certain branches of the
New York and New Haven railroad, and also
as constructing engineer at Colts firearms
works at Hartford, Conn. He resides at
Highland station, West Roxbury. He ar
rived at the scene of the accident at $50
a. m. and commenced looking about for the
probable cause of the accident. He found a
truck lying on the southeast corner of the
southern abutment toward Dedham; he also
found brake rod bent like horseshoe lying
across the track. Since then he had
heard that an employe had found
broken hanger on the abut-
back The brake rod was lying
&C ross the track with the points bent togeth
er and pointing toward the abutment He
looked carefully on the sleepers, but found
no marks. Examined other portions of the
wreck and found some links badly welded.
Witness drew this inference: That the brake
hanger broke and dropped down and remain
ed there till it got on to the bridge when it
caught in the sleepers when it went under
the wheels, giving an unusual jar to the
bridge and causing it to fall. Witness had
noticed that the alignment of the bridge
was faulty and he feared that some acct
dent would occur. The track on the Ded-
ham side had been in fair condition until
last summer, when witness noticed severe
shock as the train came around the curve
and over the bridge. The shock was near
ly enough to knock a man down. Witness
reported it to Ed Keith, who replied that
he Keith could do no good by saying
anything about it at the Office. Witness re-
piled that he (witness) would report it to the
Office himself. Witness spoke about it to
Mr.. Wheeler, depot master at Boston, and
told him that if the curve was not fixed
there would be trouble. Mr.. Wheeler an
swered that it would be attended to, but wit
ness, who rode daily over the road could
not see that anything had been done. On
the Saturday before the accident witness
felt such shock to be nearly thrown
down, and he at once told the baggage
master that if it was not fixed at once
he would never 60 over that bridge
many times more. OF late fearing acct
dent witness had been in the habit of riding
into town in the baggage car, but going out,
the grade being upward, he felt safer and
rode in passenger car. Witness believed
that guard rails would have saved the train.
Witness also of the opinion that all the
elements and conditions for accident exist
between Boylston Station and Jamaica Plain,
where the six o'clock train from Boston to
Dedham travels at the rate of sixty miles an
hour. The track repairers should that
the outer rail is already sufficiently
high in all curves; accidents
occur on curves when the outer or higher
rail becomes worn down. Martin Lynch, of
HYDE Park, sub-foreman in the Boston paw
ing department, testified that he was on
Washington street and watched the train as
it crossed the bridge and saw nothing out of
the way until the engine and first two cars
had crossed, when there seemed to be a sud
den check as if something had broken then
saw the whole train going down with the
bridge. The fourth car seemed to
stand on end and the fifth car
went down into the road and the
car that was standing on end fell back on top
of the wreck. Did not notice any dropping
of the bridge until the first car had gone
ever. Witness thought that the check and
rumbling in the train was a second or two
before he saw the bridge breaking under the
cars. Joseph McDonough of West Roxbury,
a laborer under Mr.. Lyndy, testified that he
was looking at the train before it got to the
bridge. He did not notice anything wrong
until the third car was going off the bridge.
4 Remarkably Fine Specimen.
Mr.. A. A. KELLOGG has on exhibition in the
Elm street window of his store the finest
specimen of wild turkey ever seen in the
city. This magnificent bird weighed eight
cen pounds when captured and stands nearly
three feet high. His plumage is variegated,
showing the most beautiful shades as the
light ehanges-green, purple and golden
bronze. From the breast hangs bunch of
hair about five inches long, black and rather
coarse, like horses name. The spurs on
it's legs are over an inch long. Altogether it
is we'll worth inspection and will be much
admired.